Method of impregnating wood and products thereof.



LEO H.

, or YOITKEBS, YORK, assmnon 'ro 'noBEsoN rnocEss conrm, 9] GmEN, JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0E NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF IIPEEGHATING WOOD AND PRODUCTS THEREOF.

Specification 0; Letters l'atent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

.80 Drawing. Original application fled November 21, 1907, Serial No. 03,226. Renewed June 11, 1910,

Serial 10. 586,856.- Divided and this application filed-February 7, 1912. Serial No. 675,957. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO H. BAEKELAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Impregnating Wood and Products Thereof, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of impregnating wood and products thereof; and it comprises a method of preservlng and treating wood to increase its strength and hardness and its resistance againstfire and decomposition wherein wood, or other fibrocellular material of like nature, is impregnated with 'a liquid comprising or consisting of a solution of the soluble bodies occurring in waste sulfite liquor; and it also comprlses wood or similar fibrocellular material havof bisulfites; generally bisulfites of magnesia f and lime, dolomitic lime being usually em pioyed in making the liquor. In the pulping process about half the woody materialgoes into solution giving dissolved colloidal extractive matters and complex'su'lfur-conleast in part, in the nature 0 taining organic bodies. These organic bodies are, at least in part, in combination with the calcium and other bases present and, for

convenience of nomenclature, the solubles of the solution are often called lignosulfonates of these bases, the new complex oxysulfur acids present probably, at sulfonic acids derived'from the lignone of the wood. The

dissolved matters have tanning and antiseptic properties. As the liquid comes from the digesters, it is a rather weak solution which oflers difliculties in concentration. It may however be concentrated (see Patent 833,634) to form a thick, viscid stableprodnot having many commercial uses. Y

I have ound that the waste sulfite liquor may be utilized for preserving wood and that when so used it not only renders the wood more resis ant against decay or change,

whether by the action of ferment organisms,

fungi or insects, but also gives it other de-' advantageous, since apart from the convenience of greater density which enables the conveyance of more material into the wood pores in a single impregnation or saturation, the concentrated liquor when properly pre pared is more stable, even upon redilutlon, and is otherwise more desirable.- However sulfite liquor solids in the pores of the wood. The crude liquid is ordinarily slightly acid in reaction; and it may be, and advantageously is, neutralized by an alkaline product, as for instance-lime or a'soluble alkali or alkaline salt, as for instance sodium silicate. The concentrated liquid is ordinarily neutralized before concentration.

The sulfite liquor may be admixed with or used in connection with other substances, such as fire-proofing salts like phosphates,

. the crude thin liquid may be employed using i I :as many impregnations therewith as may .be inecessary to secure the desired amount of tungstates, silicates, aluminum salts, ammonium salts, zinc chlorid, etc, since it ofi'ers a number of advantages such use, as, for instance, in restraining crystallization, preventing efllorescence, etc.

the subject matter. of my prior and copend-. ing application Serial Number 403,226, filed Preservation of wood and the like by sulfite liquor in con- November 21, 1907, and renewed as Serial.

No. 566,356, June 11, 1910, whereof the present application'is divisional. Where the sulfite liquor is employed excluslvely, as m the specific invention claimed in this case,

advantageous products result. 'The soluble matters of the sulfite liquor have an antiseptic motion and tan or coagulate a'ndrnd er insoluble some of the albuminoids and other putrescible bodies present in fresh or green wood, converting them into forms littlesusceptible to putrefaction and llttle available as food'for organisms, whether msects bacteria or fungi. And the colloid extractive matters and'solubles, organic and inorganic, of the sulfite liquor, after impregnating the wood therewith and drying, fill,

' pacts. the wood, renders it more resistant to pressure or breaking stress and permits it to receive and retain an improved finish.

And the wood is rendered more resistant to fire and flame by the closure or diminution of thepores since the amount of included air is thereby lessened.

I The impregnation. of the wood may be effected by simply soaking it in the waste liquor, either the crude thin liquor, which is best neutralized prior thereto, or in a concentrated product, until the li nor has penetrated to the desired or a su cient extent, and then removing and drying the wood. The impregnation may however be improvedor accelerated by any of the well'known methods involving the use of boiling or vacuum or pressure, as by boiling under pressure. With a vacuum, the air may be removed from the wood, facilitating the entrance of the sulfite liquor. But the imp ing wood, or like fibrocellular materlal, "with Correction in/Letters PatentNb. 1,657,21 I

nation proper is best 'under the action of heat and pressure. After the impregnation the wood may be dried in the usual way. Using sulfite waste li uor concentrated by a preliminary evaporation, the effect of the treatment is increased.

- The product resulting from impregnatrecord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

V [scan] nesses. I

is hereby certified that in LettersPatent bio. 1 ,05 Z,2 11 granted March 25, .1913, upon the application of Leo H. Baekeland', of Yonkers, liew York, for an improvementin Methods of lmpregna'tin'glwood'and Products Thereof, an error I appearsin, theprinted specification requiring correction follows: Page 2, line .69, I after the word liquo1 insert the word ewcbusivety; and that the said Letters I, Patent should beread with this correction thereinthat the same may oonfonnto the Signed .nd sealed this '15th'day of April, a. 1)., 1 913.

sulfite liquor exclusively, charged with the dried colloidal extractive and tanning matters of the sulfite liquor and its salts, such as the lime saltsof the contained oxysulfur or sulfonic acids. Its porosity is diminished to the extent to which the pores have been charged 'with such matters, making it more fire resistant, and denser and more compact. Its .hardness is. also improved by this-reduction of porosity while the incorporated, matter, unlike mineral salts, is not of such character as to injure tools used in working it.

What I claim is 1. The herein described product consisting of a fibrocellular body treated with waste sulfite liquor exclusively.

2; The herein described product consisting of a fibrocellular body impregnated with waste sulfite liquor exclusively.

3. The herein described method which consists in treating afibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor exclusively,

. 4. The herein described method which consists in treating a fibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor exclusively under the action of pressure.

5. The herein described method which consists in treating a fibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor under the action of heat and pressure.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing wit- LEO BAEKELAND.

Witnesses! HERBERT S. MAY, Jos. G. FULI .ER.

c. c. BlLLINGS,

. Acting ofPatanta.

has the pores 4O inorganic, of the sulfite liquor, after impregnating the wood therewith and drying, fill,

' pacts. the wood, renders it more resistant to pressure or breaking stress and permits it to receive and retain an improved finish.

And the wood is rendered more resistant to fire and flame by the closure or diminution of thepores since the amount of included air is thereby lessened.

I The impregnation. of the wood may be effected by simply soaking it in the waste liquor, either the crude thin liquor, which is best neutralized prior thereto, or in a concentrated product, until the li nor has penetrated to the desired or a su cient extent, and then removing and drying the wood. The impregnation may however be improvedor accelerated by any of the well'known methods involving the use of boiling or vacuum or pressure, as by boiling under pressure. With a vacuum, the air may be removed from the wood, facilitating the entrance of the sulfite liquor. But the imp ing wood, or like fibrocellular materlal, "with Correction in/Letters PatentNb. 1,657,21 I

nation proper is best 'under the action of heat and pressure. After the impregnation the wood may be dried in the usual way. Using sulfite waste li uor concentrated by a preliminary evaporation, the effect of the treatment is increased.

- The product resulting from impregnatrecord of the case in the Patent Oflice.

V [scan] nesses. I

is hereby certified that in LettersPatent bio. 1 ,05 Z,2 11 granted March 25, .1913, upon the application of Leo H. Baekeland', of Yonkers, liew York, for an improvementin Methods of lmpregna'tin'glwood'and Products Thereof, an error I appearsin, theprinted specification requiring correction follows: Page 2, line .69, I after the word liquo1 insert the word ewcbusivety; and that the said Letters I, Patent should beread with this correction thereinthat the same may oonfonnto the Signed .nd sealed this '15th'day of April, a. 1)., 1 913.

sulfite liquor exclusively, charged with the dried colloidal extractive and tanning matters of the sulfite liquor and its salts, such as the lime saltsof the contained oxysulfur or sulfonic acids. Its porosity is diminished to the extent to which the pores have been charged 'with such matters, making it more fire resistant, and denser and more compact. Its .hardness is. also improved by this-reduction of porosity while the incorporated, matter, unlike mineral salts, is not of such character as to injure tools used in working it.

What I claim is 1. The herein described product consisting of a fibrocellular body treated with waste sulfite liquor exclusively.

2; The herein described product consisting of a fibrocellular body impregnated with waste sulfite liquor exclusively.

3. The herein described method which consists in treating afibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor exclusively,

. 4. The herein described method which consists in treating a fibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor exclusively under the action of pressure.

5. The herein described method which consists in treating a fibrocellular body with waste sulfite liquor under the action of heat and pressure.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing wit- LEO BAEKELAND.

Witnesses! HERBERT S. MAY, Jos. G. FULI .ER.

c. c. BlLLINGS,

. Acting ofPatanta.

has the pores 4O 

